The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-03-10

face there was ominous silence and
painful suspense around the table
before word was spoken. MIR.
Lincoln was among the first to note
that shadow had been suddenly lung
upon the circle. and he did not conceal
his anxiety To learn the cause. The
truth was soon made known bs Gov.
Curtin. The message he had received
was a joint one from Gen. Winfield
Scott and Senator Seward. who had
alread. been designated As Premier of
the new Administration, and il notified
the Governor that Mr.. Lincoln could
not pass through Baltimore alive the
following day, and peremptorily COM
manded change ofroute and program
to save the life Of the Presidcnt-elect.
1T j. needless TO say that the occa-
sion was no longer one Of fe~tivity.
The ,olennity Of the funeral quickly
enthroned itself where there had been
pleasant converse and welcome wit but
Il moment before. All but one Of the
dozen or more men present seemed
utterly appalled,. and that one was
Abraham Lincoln. While every other
face was pale with apprehension, he
maintained the same sober, sad express
sion that he had exhibited from the be-
ginning, and As usual he said nothing
until all the other, had spoken and he
was personally appealed to for his
news. One by one, beginning with
Coy. Curtin, each gave pointed express
sion 10 the judgment that Mr.. Lincoln ;
Route and program must he changed
and that il must be done without pub
licity The silence of Mr.. Lincoln had
hardly been noted until all but himself
had spoken in the intensity Of their
feelings. and then. as if suddenly
called to the recollection of the pres
eiice Of the man who was the decreed
victim of the assassin. all turned to him
for counsel. Even when personally ap.
l1ealedto lie seemed reluctant to an.
~wer, but when pressed to acqniesce in
she unanimous judgment of his friends
he said. with scarcely n tremor in his
clear voice: What would the people
think Of their ruler stealing into his
Capital like thief in the night. y
He seemed TO think little of the peril
to his life. but he thought much of the
peril of FORGETTING the respect of tn.
Nation. Mr. Lincoln's unwillingness
to assent to change Of route and pro.
gram brought the dinner guests to face
i new duty. Instead of suggesting,
one by one they followed Gov. Curtin
in commanding. and the President-elec1
was notified that the time and manner
of pursuing his journey to Washington
had passed beyond his discretion. and
that he must defer to such measures Al
could be devised for his safety. Hi
silently acuuicsced: but his was the on
~ face a, the table that was not blanch'
ed with fear. Col. Thomas A. Scot:
the keenest Of all in perception and The
boldest TO execute. at once proposed
a new route and program and suggest.
ed all lis details. His plan was prompt
IL and gratefully accepted. and Mr.
Lincoln himself seemed 10 share thu
general sense ofrelief when Col. Scott
program was settled. The first dut,
was to avoid even the suspicion outside
that the route or time of tho PreSiden,
had been changed. To nlislead tn,
vas, crowd that surrounded the hotel
IA carriage was ostentatiously called fol
Gov. Curtin and President Lincoln, ant
they walked out together. entered tn,
carriage. aud ordered the driver L
take them 10 the Executive Mansion
This was !, natural proceeding and at
tracted no attention: but the Executive
Mansion was not the destination Of thu
two distinguished executives.
Before they had started Col. Scot
and myself fastened TO the Penn
sylvania Railroad depot. where ht
promptly cleared one Of his tracks t
Philadelphia. gave some confidential
instructions by telegraph to trustee
agent in West Philadelphia, had :
special engine and car made ready. ant
then saw him personally superintent
the cutting Of every telegraph linz
that entered Harrisburg. BY the tim'
that was accomplished carriag
stopped near the depot where Their
was no brilliant rays Of gaslight an,
the Governor and the Prcsident-clect
who had driven circuitously to the lie
pot, alighted. Mr.. Lincoln and Col
Lamon entered the special ear and the,
were soon whirling along on their wa,
to the City Of Brotherly Love-
1t is fortunate for the Nation that tn
solution of this question. so frangh
with the gravest consequences, anon,
Others fell upon two such men as Thorn
as A. Scott aud Alexander X. Mcclure
The writer heard Mr.. Lincoln say i
the fall Of 1864. after protracted in
terview with him. and after Mr.. Nc
Clure had left. that be had more brain
power than any man he had ever known
and everybody who knew Thomas A
Scott knows that he saw the intricate
and the solution Of any complieate
question at a glance as accurately 3
most men sec them in the afterthonghl
He was the brightest, quickest. an
promptest man Of his time.
Pinkerton had been left ut Phlade
phia TO arrange matters there in cas-
an emergency should arise. As til
special from Harrisburg would arriy
before the train for Washington woul
leave, Mr.. Pinkerton received Mr. Lin
coin and Col. Lamon At the depot wit
Il private carriage and drove about I'll
city until it was time for the train ,
start for Washington. The party the
took the rear ear, the last half of which
divided off by curtain. had been e,
gagged by Pinkerton's lady for sicl
brother and Mr.. Lincoln Mr.. Lamon. NJ
Pinkerton. and lady occupied this pa
Of the sleeper for the journey.
i They left Philadel ia about !
o'clock. Not soul except the 70,
people in the rear d of the ear III
the few ut the DINNER party ut Harri
burg knew that Mr.. Lincoln had lie
that city or was on his way to Was
ington.
He could not. of course, take IL lar.
number Of persons with him witho
attracting attention and bctraying h
presence, and therefore reduced h
arrangements for defense upon til
journey to the smallest possible cor
J pass by the selection of Ward |